Committed to healing mind, body and soul

Sande Smith

about

Sande Smith Coaching profile photo

As your coach, I partner with you to re-spark your inner fire, radiance and joy.

I fell in love with coaching because it gives me a way to do what I already love: support people to maximize their gifts and strengths to live up to their own potential and contribute to bettering our world.

About 30 years ago, I discovered that I could parlay my love of the word into a communications career supporting mission-driven organizations. Since then, I’ve worked at various non-profits and held leadership positions at the Global Fund for Women, the Women’s Foundation of California, and The California Wellness Foundation.

Who we are as individuals is intricately connected with who we are in community. In my work with clients, I welcome awareness, naming and healing of the wounds that systemic oppression inflicts on women and people of color.

I hired my first coach in 2003 and wow, what a difference it made for me in terms of learning and growing in my work. My coach helped me listen to myself, strengthen my value as an employee, and earn multiple promotions.

My personal experience has taught me the importance of investing my dollars and my time in myself and my dreams. For me, that’s looked like getting coaching and therapy, learning to draw in my 50’s and always making time to write and create.

On my website, you’ll see images that I’ve created on my 7-year journey of learning to draw.

Learning to draw and paint has been life changing. I now bring images and writing together in everything that I do, having found image-making to be a powerful source of knowledge creation and wisdom.

Sande Smith Art
what I see what I know what I imagine mixed media art piece by Sande Smith

The combination of external support coupled with reflective and creative practices has helped me learn to listen and respect myself while healing painful patterns and moving through challenging work and life experiences. The result, I can own the fullness of who I am and speak up for the impact I want to have.

As the daughter of Black working class parents, I am striving to better understand, articulate and upend the many ways that structural racism and sexism reinforce injustice and impact our lives on a daily basis.

About My Coaching Style

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photo of Nikole Collins Puri CEO of Techbridge Girls

Sande takes time to listen to what is said and observe body language. She pauses, asks questions to gain clarity or affirmation, and then uses a diverse set of techniques and tools to guide you forward.

– Nikole Collins-Puri, CEO, TechBridge Girls

photo of Nikole Collins Puri CEO of Techbridge Girls

Sande Smith, wow. She integrated her lived experience, professional knowledge and training into a brilliant set of conscious coaching sessions.

– Deb Levine, MA, Non-profit Executive Director

photo of Nikole Collins Puri CEO of Techbridge Girls

Sande listens with her whole being. She hears both the words and the energy behind them – even circling back to explore tossed out lines said at the beginning of the session. Her questions encourage me to go deep and often take a turn that is unexpected and allow me to see other ways of thinking.

– Pamela Rich, Organization Development Consultant, UC Berkeley

spark

Sande Smith Art ReLuminate Consulting